Ready to take your sales to the next level? A sales funnel can help your local business streamline and increase its sales with minimal effort.
While you will need to put some effort into creating the funnel, once it is set up most of the hard work has been done. So, what is a sales funnel and how can it benefit your local business?
Here, I’ll reveal what sales funnels are and how you can use them in your business.
A sales funnel is a series of steps the customer goes through to make a purchase. Every business has one, even if they don’t realize it.
Each stage of the funnel takes the customer a step closer to making a purchase. So, what are the different stages involved in a typical sales funnel?
The first stage is awareness. That is, the potential customer becomes aware of your products and services. It could be they found your website or a social media post you published. Once they become aware of your business, they will either make an immediate purchase, or more likely, move to the next stage of the funnel.
The interest stage of a sales funnel is where the customer researches more about your business. It could be looking through the products and services you have to offer, or comparing you against your competitors. They are interested, but still undecided during this stage.
When the customer reaches the decision stage, they are ready to make a purchase. Whether that will be through your business or one of your competitors will depend upon what they discovered in the interest stage. It will also be determined by how well you have marketed your products and services.
The final stage of the sales funnel is action. This is where your hard work pays off and the customer makes a purchase. Not all of the people who travel through your sales funnel will go on to become customers. No business ever converts 100% of its leads.
These are the different stages included in a sales funnel. Your goal is to ensure you market effectively during each stage to encourage the customer to complete the funnel.
If you want to ensure that your sales funnel is successful, there are a few steps you’ll need to take. These include:
If you want customers to travel all the way through your sales funnel, you’re going to need to understand them. Who are your ideal customers and how will they typically find your products?
Think about the keywords they might use to search for your products and services. Where do they hang out? What are their biggest issues? The more you understand your customers, the easier it will be to market to them.
When you want to move your customers from the awareness to the interest stage, a lead magnet is a powerful tool. This is basically something you offer your customers to get them to opt into your email list. It could be a free eBook or report for example. Whatever it is, it should provide real value to the customer.
You will get people opting in for the free lead magnet, then opting out again afterwards. However, most leads you acquire will be happy to continue receiving emails providing the lead magnet was useful. This brings us to the next step…
Once your customers have opted into your email list, you can begin marketing your products and services. This is great for retaining customers, as well as encouraging new ones to make a purchase. Do a little research to ensure you’re following the best practices.
Finally, you’re going to want to focus on your conversion process. This means ensuring your sales pages are persuasive, providing a good FAQ page, and personalizing your marketing efforts to each customer. It should be easy for customers to make a purchase when the time comes. So, ensure the process is streamlined and you’ll achieve more conversions.
Overall, sales funnels are essential in business; especially if you are trying to grow your reach. The above are some of the best ways to use a sales funnel in your local business.
